Tells Congress Agency Viewed Airlines More Like "Customers" Than Companies To Be Regulated

(CBS/AP) A House committee reported the findings of its investigation into the Federal Aviation Agency's safety oversight Thursday and heard testimony from airline safety inspectors and the Transportation Department's inspector general.

The whistleblowers who exposed maintenance and inspection problems at Southwest Airlines told Congress their jobs were threatened and their reports of noncompliance were ignored for years by their superiors.

FAA inspector Douglas Peters choked up Thursday at the hearing and needed a few sips of water to tell lawmakers about how a former manager came into his office, commented on pictures of Peters' family being most important, and then said his job could be jeopardized by his actions.

Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said FAA managers' actions displayed "malfeasance bordering on corruption," adding that if presented to a grand jury, the evidence would result in an indictment.

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